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Lead Sydney rang in 2026 with an explicit message of peace and solidarity after the 14 December mass shooting at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah festival that left 15 people dead. Thousands of people gathered around Sydney Harbour to watch the city’s signature fireworks while authorities staged heightened security across the CBD. The Harbour Bridge displayed … Read more
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will hold a private swearing-in ceremony on January 1 beneath the tiled vaults of the long-closed Old City Hall subway station, with a public inauguration to follow outside City Hall. The subterranean stop, opened in 1904 and closed in 1945, is normally reachable only on guided tours operated by the New York … Read more
An aging oil tanker that US authorities have chased at sea for nearly two weeks now shows a roughly painted Russian flag on its hull, US officials say. The vessel, identified as the Bella 1, is sailing in the open Atlantic away from Venezuela while Coast Guard personnel trail it about a half-mile behind. The … Read more
Lead On Dec. 24, 2025, Baylor announced it had signed James Nnaji, a 21-year-old, 7-foot center who was the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA draft and has played professionally in Europe since 2020. The move — announced on Christmas Eve and expected to make Nnaji available for Big 12 play the following week — … Read more
Lead Tesla has published an analyst “consensus” on its investor website indicating 2025 deliveries will be lower than recent output and below company targets. The figures show an expected 423,000 deliveries in Q4 2025 and a total of 1.64 million vehicles for 2025, down from 1.79 million in 2024. Published estimates project deliveries of 1.75 … Read more
People around the world marked the start of 2026 with public gatherings, fireworks and traditional rituals from Asia to the Americas. The first New Year observances began in the South Pacific, and New York’s Times Square ball descended roughly 18 hours later as the final major U.S. celebration concluded. Photographers captured scenes from Taipei’s fireworks … Read more
Canada revealed a 25-player men’s hockey roster for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Dec. 31, 2025, selecting a mix of veteran leaders and rising stars. The squad, which includes 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini and New York Islanders center Bo Horvat, will open Group A play against Czechia on Feb. 12 in Milan. The roster … Read more
NHL officials completed a full roof-and-door test at loanDepot park in Miami on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2025, preparing for the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers scheduled for Friday. The league opened the ballpark’s sliding glass panels and retractable roof in a controlled run-through and found ice-level temperatures … Read more
In 2025 President Donald J. Trump returned to the White House for a second term and swept a series of high‑impact actions through the federal government, from broad executive orders to agency renamings. Over the year his administration pushed a major domestic package dubbed “One, Big Beautiful Bill,” pardoned roughly 1,500 people connected to Jan. … Read more
In Washington, weekly U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell to 199,000 for the week ending Dec. 27, down 16,000 from the prior week’s 215,000, the Labor Department reported on Wednesday. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had expected about 208,000 new claims. The report was released a day early because of the New Year’s Day holiday, and … Read more
The 2025–26 College Football Playoff bracket — the second season under the expanded 12‑team format — was released Sunday, Dec. 7. The tournament runs from Dec. 19, 2025, through the CFP National Championship on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Early rounds use established bowl sites while semifinals occupy … Read more
Nearly 60 women members of Japan’s parliament, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, submitted a cross-party petition this month asking the lower house to add more female restrooms after long queues formed before plenary sittings. The appeal — signed by 58 lawmakers — highlights a mismatch between growing female representation and the Diet building’s century-old facilities. … Read more
Lead: Public health data show the U.S. flu season has surged: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates at least 7.5 million illnesses and more than 3,100 deaths so far as a new subclade of influenza A(H3N2) spreads after emerging in Australia this summer. Health officials say the current vaccine was formulated before that … Read more
Lead The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it has frozen all child care payments to Minnesota after a viral video alleged widespread fraud in day care centers. Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill announced tighter documentation rules for Administration for Children and Families payments, requiring justification plus receipts or photos. The action … Read more
On Dec. 31, 2025, designers John and Christine Gachot completed the conversion of a 19th-century carriage shed on their Shelter Island property into a combined art studio and recreation space. The project repurposes a rustic outbuilding into a working atelier and social room equipped with a Pac-Man arcade, pool table and a vintage slot machine. … Read more
